Patent AU-2016216632-B2 (AU)
Title: Processes and compositions for organic rankine cycles for generating mechanical energy from heat
Inventor: KONTOMARIS KONSTANTINOS
IPC: F01K25/10
Filed: 2016-08-17
Granted: 2017-12-21
Abstract: INTERNATIONAL PRELIMINARY REPORT ON PATENTABILITY (Chapter I of the Patent Cooperation Treaty) (PCT Rule 44bis) Applicant's or agent's file reference FOR FURTHER ACTION See item 4 below International application No. International filing date (day/month/year) Priority date (day/month/year) PCT/US2012/051239 16 August 2012 (16.08.2012) 19 August 2011 (19.08.2011) International Patent Classification (8th edition unless older edition indicated) See relevant information in Form PCT/ISA/237 Applicant E. I. DU PONT DE NEMOURS AND COMPANY 1. This international preliminary report on patentability (Chapter I) is issued by the International Bureau on behalf of the International Searching Authority under Rule 44 bis.1(a). 2. This REPORT consists of a total of 7 sheets, including this cover sheet. In the attached sheets, any reference to the written opinion of the International Searching Authority should be read as a reference to the international preliminary report on patentability (Chapter I) instead. 3. This report contains indications relating to the following items: Box No. I Basis of the report ED Box No. II Priority EH Box No. III Non-establishment of opinion with regard to novelty, inventive step and industrial applicability EH Box No. IV Lack of unity of invention Box No. V Reasoned statement under Article 35(2) with regard to novelty, inventive step or industrial applicability; citations and explanations supporting such statement EH Box No. VI Certain documents cited Box No. VII Certain defects in the international application EH Box No. VIII Certain observations on the international application 4. The International Bureau will communicate this report to designated Offices in accordance with Rules 44bis.3(c) and 93bis.1 but not, except where the applicant makes an express request under Article 23(2), before the expiration of 30 months from the priority date (Rule 44bis .2). Date of issuance of this report 25 March 2014 (25.03.2014) The International Bureau of WIPO Authorized officer 34, chemin des Colombettes 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland Athina Nickitas-Etienne Facsimile No. +41 22 338 82 70 e-mail: pt04.pct@wipo.int Form PCT/IB/373 (January 2004) From the INTERNATIONAL SEARCHING AUTHORITY To: PCT WRITTEN OPINION OF THE INTERNATIONAL SEARCHING AUTHORITY (PCT Rule 43bis.1) Date of mailing (day/month/year) see form PCT/ISA/210 (second sheet) Applicant's or agent's file reference FOR FURTHER ACTION see form PCT/SA/220 See paragraph 2 below International application No. International filing date (day/monthkear) Priority date (day/month/year) PCT/US2012/051239 16.08.2012 19.08.2011 International Patent Classification (IPC) or both national classification and IPC INV. C09K5/04 F01 K25/1 0 Applicant E. I. DU PONT DE NEMOURS AND COMPANY 1. This opinion contains indications relating to the following items: Z Box No. I Basis of the opinion E Box No. II Priority E Box No. III Non-establishment of opinion with regard to novelty, inventive step and industrial applicability E Box No. IV Lack of unity of invention Z Box No. V Reasoned statement under Rule 43bis.1 (a)(i) with regard to novelty, inventive step and industrial applicability; citations and explanations supporting such statement E Box No. VI Certain documents cited Z Box No. VII Certain defects in the international application E Box No. VIII Certain observations on the international application 2. FURTHER ACTION If a demand for international preliminary examination is made, this opinion will usually be considered to be a written opinion of the International Preliminary Examining Authority ("IPEA") except that this does not apply where the applicant chooses an Authority other than this one to be the IPEA and the chosen IPEA has notifed the International Bureau under Rule 66.1bis(b) that written opinions of this International Searching Authority will not be so considered. If this opinion is, as provided above, considered to be a written opinion of the IPEA, the applicant is invited to submit to the IPEA a written reply together, where appropriate, with amendments, before the expiration of 3 months from the date of mailing of Form PCT/ISA/220 or before the expiration of 22 months from the priority date, whichever expires later. For further options, see Form PCT/ISA/220. Name and mailing address of the ISA: Date of completion of Authorized Officer this opinion a"n European Patent Office see form P.B. 5818 Patentlaan 2 PCT/IA,210 Yousufi, Stefanie NL-2280 HV Rijswijk - Pays Bas Tel. +31 70 340 -2040 Telephone No. +31 70 340-2823 Fax: +31 70 340 - 3016 WRITTEN OPINION OF THE International application No. INTERNATIONAL SEARCHING AUTHORITY PCT/US2012/051239 Box No. I Basis of the opinion 1. With regard to the language, this opinion has been established on the basis of: Z the international application in the language in which it was filed E a translation of the international application into , which is the language of a translation furnished for the purposes of international search (Rules 12.3(a) and 23.1 (b)). 2. E This opinion has been established taking into account the rectification of an obvious mistake authorized by or notified to this Authority under Rule 91 (Rule 43bis.1 (a)) 3. With regard to any nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence disclosed in the international application, this opinion has been established on the basis of a sequence listing filed or furnished: a. (means) E on paper E in electronic form b. (time) E in the international application as filed E together with the international application in electronic form E subsequently to this Authority for the purposes of search 4. E In addition, in the case that more than one version or copy of a sequence listing has been filed or furnished, the required statements that the information in the subsequent or additional copies is identical to that in the application as filed or does not go beyond the application as filed, as appropriate, were furnished. 5. Additional comments: Box No. V Reasoned statement under Rule 43bis.1(a)(i) with regard to novelty, inventive step or industrial applicability; citations and explanations supporting such statement 1. Statement Novelty (N) Yes: Claims 2, 4, 7-20, 25 No: Claims 1, 3, 5, 6, 21-24 Inventive step (IS) Yes: Claims No: Claims 1-25 Industrial applicability (IA) Yes: Claims 1-25 No: Claims 2. Citations and explanations see separate sheet WRITTEN OPINION OF THE International application No. INTERNATIONAL SEARCHING AUTHORITY PCT/US2012051239 Box No. Vil Certain defects in the international application The following defects in the form or contents of the international application have been noted: see separate sheet WRITTEN OPINION OF THE International application No. INTERNATIONAL SEARCHING AUTHORITY (SEPARATE SHEET) PCT/US2012/051239 Re Item V Reasoned statement with regard to novelty, inventive step or industrial applicability; citations and explanations supporting such statement 1. Reference is made to the following documents: D1 WO 2011/084447 A2 (HONEYWELL INT INC [US]; HULSE RYAN [US]; SINGH RAJIV RATNA [US]; PAONE) 14 July 2011 (2011-07-14) D2 WO 2010/141669 Al (DU PONT [US]; MINOR BARBARA HAVILAND [US]; KONTOMARIS KONSTANTINOS [US) 9 December 2010 (2010-12-09) 2. INDEPENDENT CLAIM 1 The present application does not meet the criteria of Article 33(1) PCT, because the subject-matter of claim 1 is not new in the sense of Article 33(2) PCT. The document D1 discloses (the references in parentheses applying to this document): A process for recovering heat from a heat source and generating mechanical energy, comprising the steps of: (a) passing a first working fluid in liquid phase through a heat exchanger or an evaporator, wherein said heat exchanger or said evaporator is in communication with said heat source that supplies said heat; (b) removing at least a portion of said first working fluid in a vapor phase from said heat exchanger or said evaporator; (c) passing said at least a portion of said first working fluid in vapor phase to an expander, wherein at least portion of said heat is converted into mechanical energy; (d) passing said at least a portion of said first working fluid in vapor phase from said expander to a condenser, wherein said at least a portion of said first working fluid in vapor phase is condensed to a second working fluid in liquid phase; (e) optionally, compressing and mixing said second working fluid in liquid phase with said first working fluid in liquid phase in Step (a); and (f) optionally, repeating Steps (a) through (e), at least one time; wherein at least about 20 weight percent of said first working fluid comprises HFO-1 336mzz-Z, HFO-1336mzz-E, or mixtures thereof (see page 26, paragraph 3-page 27, paragraph 2 and figure 1). Form PCT/ISA/237 (Separate Sheet) (Sheet 1) (EPO-April 2005) WRITTEN OPINION OF THE International application No. INTERNATIONAL SEARCHING AUTHORITY (SEPARATE SHEET) PCT/US2012/051239 D1 discloses therefore all the features of claim 1. Claim 1 is therefore not new in the sense of Article 33(2) PCT. Claim 1 is also not inventive with respect to D2 as a refrigeration cycle is a reversed Rankine cycle. 3. OTHER INDEPENDENT CLAIMS The subject-matter of claim 11 differs from the subject-matter of claim 1 in that the process for recovering heat from a heat source and generating mechanical energy is supercritical. Although a process according to claim 11 is not disclosed in D1, it can be assumed that the skilled man would naturally resort to the process as claimed, as it does not depart in an unexpected way from common engineering practice. Hence the subject-matter of claim 11 does not involve an inventive step (Article 33(3) PCT). The subject-matter of claims 21-24 is disclosed in D1. Claims 21-24 are therefore not new in the sense of Article 33(2) PCT. 4. Dependent claims 2-10, 12-20 and 25 do not contain any features which, in combination with the features of any claim to which they refer, meet the requirements of the PCT in respect of novelty (claims 3, 5, 6: see D1) and/or inventive step (claims 2, 4, 7-20, 25 relate to minor differences with respect to D1). 4. The application is industrially applicable for claims 1-25 according to Article 33(4) Re Item VII Certain defects in the international application The independent claims are not in the two-part form in accordance with Rule 6.3(b) Form PCT/ISA/237 (Separate Sheet) (Sheet 2) (EPO-April 2005) WRITTEN OPINION OF THE International application No. INTERNATIONAL SEARCHING AUTHORITY (SEPARATE SHEET) PCT/US2012/051239 The features of the claims are not provided with reference signs placed in parentheses (Rule 6.2(b) PCT). Contrary to the requirements of Rule 5.1 (a)(ii) PCT, the relevant background art disclosed in the documents D1 and D2 is not mentioned in the description, nor are these documents identified therein. Form PCT/ISA/237 (Separate Sheet) (Sheet 3) (EPO-April 2005)